November 7th, 2019, I received an email from the International Office of the University of Ottawa. It’s thanks to that email, which introduced me to the project, that I have the opportunity to leave for Japan on February 15th, 2019. So, how did I sign up exactly? This post will serve as a little guide for future applicants. Hopefully, the procedure remains the same across universities.
Opening of the application process
You should receive an email from your university around the month of November to tell you that the application process for the Kakehashi project is now open. If you do not receive the email (I am yet to discover why some students do not receive it) , ask around, especially students from other faculties, and from other years. Not receiving the email does not mean you are not eligible, I know this from experience. A friend of mine did not receive the email and still got chosen as a participant after I forwarded it to him.
Filling out the application form
The email I received from my university contained a link to the application form, which I filled out. The form contains a number of questions that aim to evaluate you as a candidate. Do not worry! They won’t ask you to recite the history of Japan, but they may ask you what is your interest in the project. As an indicative, it took me about 25 minutes to fill out my application (although I am quite slow). Make sure you have your passport in hand and the proper version of the Letter of Understanding!
The Letter of Understanding is a document you must sign and submit with your application. It should be available on your university’s website and will be the last two pages of a PDF document detailing the project. For future uOttawa applicants, you can find the link to that document here, when the application session is open (around November). Once again, make sure you are signing the latest version of the Letter of Understanding, and not the one of previous years, or your application may be rejected.
Screening by the university
The email I received from the university also explained that once I was done filling out my application and that I submitted it to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, I should send them a copy, along with scans of the Letter of Understanding and my passport. From my understanding, this is because the university will screen out participants before the Asia Pacific Foundation evaluates your application. I sent my copy and my scans to the email address specified in the email and received an acknowledgement of receipt a few days later.
If you are nominated by your university as a participant for the project, you should receive an email telling you so. The University of Ottawa has a specific date on which it should send out replies to the nominees, however, the International Office is quite busy and it might be a few days late with replies. The University of Ottawa did not send emails to people that were not nominated when I applied for the project.
Screening by the foundation
Once you are nominated by your university as a participant, you will be asked to wait for an email from the Asia Pacific Foundation. If you are selected as a participant, you will receive an email from the foundation a few weeks after the university screening is done. I received my email towards the middle of December.
Next steps
You were selected, you are overjoyed, now what? In your email from the Asia Pacific Foundation, you will be informed that you will have to participate to a mandatory orientation day. You will receive yet another email a few days after, giving you the details of that orientation day (date, time, location).
It is very important you reply to that last email, confirming your continued interest in participating in the project and your attendance at the Orientation Day. Once you have replied, your application process is officially done and the Orientation Day awaits!
Checklist – Kakehashi project application process
- Receive an email from your university (or from a friend) telling you the application process for the Kakehashi project is now open.
- Find the application form and the latest version of the Letter of Understanding.
- Fill out the application form and submit it along with scans of your signed copy of the Letter of Understanding and your passport.
- Send a copy of your application form and your scans to your university.
- Hopefully, receive an email from your university, telling you you have been nominated as a participant.
- Hopefully again, receive an email from the Asia Pacific Foundation, telling you you have been chosen as a participant.
- Receive an email from the Asia Pacific Foundation giving you the details of the Orientation Day.
- Reply to the foundation’s email, confirming your continued interest in participating in the project and your attendance at the Orientation Day.
Once Upon A Bridge 